Concentrator-table.



PATENTED JAN; 17, 1905.,

F. 1+:v FOQRSTER.

OONCBNTRATOR TABLE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 23. 1904.

men *raine Patented January 1'7, 1905.

Alien FFICE.

FRANK EDMON FORSTER, OF CLIFTON, ARIZONA TERRITORY, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO WILLIAM I-I. DE ROSEAU, OF CLIFTON, ARIZONA TERRITORY.

GONCENTIQATOFt-TAWIWE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 780,031, dated January 17, 1905.

i Application filed January 28. 1904. Serial No. 190,393.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANK EDMON Fonsrnn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Olifton, in the county of Graham and Territory of Arizona, have invented a new and useful Ooneentrator-l.able, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to concentrator-tables, and refers more particularly to tables for concentrators of the type in which the table is disposed in an inclined plane and isgiven a longitudinal reciprocatory movement when the concentrator is in operation.

In concentrators of the type mentioned the ore discharged upon the table passes obliquely across the table, the heavier particles of the ore taking the more oblique cdurse and the lighter particles moving more nearly in a direction transverse to the line of movement of the table. In such tables the action is satisfactory so far as the separation of the coarser masses of gangue and the larger particles of ore is concerned; but the separation of the metallic values contained in the slimes is not com plete, because the heavier masses of gangue tend to force the slimes off the table before complete separation of the metallic values therefrom can be effected.

The n'incipal object of the present invention is to provide a. concentrator-table of the type above mentioned with a novel arrangement of riffles and slots through which most of the gangue or tailings may pass into a launder or trough and be carried away from the table, thus allowing the slimes to work forward on the table and cause a complete separation of the metallic values therefrom.

In attaining the object above mentioned and others which will appear as the invention is more fully disclosed the same consists in the novel construction of a concentrator-table, as hereinafter fully described and claimed, and illustrated in preferred form in the accompanying drawings, it being understood that changes in the minor details of construction maybe resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or exceeding the scope of the appended claims. I

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a view in perspective of the improved concentrator-table, the feed-box from which the ore is discharged upon the table being indicated at the upper margin of the table by means of dotted lines. Fig 2. is a section on the line 2 .2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. I is a view in side elevation, partly in section, exhibiting one form of mechanism that may be employed for imparting reciprocatory movements to the table.

Referring to the drawings, in which corresponding parts are designated by similar charactors of reference throughout the several views, 1 designates the back or rear margin of the concentrator-table, fromwhich ri'il'les 2. extend longitudinally of the table toward its forward end 3. The rillles near the upper margin d of the table are comparatively short and increase in length toward the lower margin 5. The rifl'les are preferably arranged in a plurality of groups, three groups being shown, the groups being designated A, B, and O, respectively, from the upper part of the table to the lower. Grou p Acontains a much larger number of rifi'les than either of the groups B and C; but the average length of the riflies in group A is considerablyless than the average length of the ritiies in either of the other grmips. In each group the riflles increase uniformly in length from the uppermost to the lowermost ritl'le, as shown in Fig. 1; but the uppermost rilile of group B is considerably shorter than the lowermost rilile of group A, and the lowermost ritl'le of group B is considerably longer than the uppermost little of group O. The object of this arrangement is to cause the heavier masses of tailings which pass downward over the riflles in the upper group from interfering with the passage of ore along the ritl'les in the lower groups. By so arranging the ritfles the gangue or tailings may be separated into three grades, the coarsest grade passing over the ends of the rifi'les of group A, the intermediate grade passingover the ends of the rifl'ies in group B, and the finest grade passing over the ends of the riflles in group C.

In order to prevent masses of gangue from passing over the rifl'les in an upper group and descending upon the rifiies of the next group, I provide slots 7 in the surface of the table at the points shown, a slot being provided below the lowermost rifiie of groups A and B, near the forward end thereof. Chutes 8 extend downward from said slots and discharge into a trough or launder 9, along which the material discharged from the chute may be carried by water or otherwise.

The direction of the movement imparted to the concentrator-table is indicated by the arrow at the end of Fig. 1, and the course of the larger masses of gangue and ore over the table is indicated by heavy arrows, while the course of the finer particles, including the slimes, is indicated by the light arrows.

The ore is discharged upon the concentrator-table from the feed-box F, (indicated in dotted lines at the upper margin of the table,) and the longitudinal reciprocatory movement of the table causes the heavier masses to travel more rapidly toward the forward end of the table than the lighter and finer particles. A considerable portion of the largest particles of gangue will pass over the ends of the lower rifiles in group A and will be carried off through the slot below the lowermost rifile of group A. Particles of gangue of the next finer grade will pass over the ends of the riffles in group B and be discharged through the slot below the lowermost riffle of that group, thus allowing the fine particles of ore and tailings to work forward along the riffles of group C, practically to the end thereof, and thus permit complete separation of the metallic values from the tailings.

hile the table has been shown as provided with three groups of riflies only, it will be obvious that the number of groups may be increased, if desired, to separate the gangue or tailings into a greater number of different grades, and it will also be obvious that, if

desired, slots may be provided, as indicated at 10, for the escape of the metallic values which work along the rifiies to their ends.

Any form of mechanism may be employed for imparting reciprocatory movements to the table, the form shown in Fig. 4 being one that will be effective for the purpose and comprises a rod 11, one end of which is detachably secured in any suitable way to the under side of the table. The free end of the rod 11 carries a friction-roller 12, which contacts with a cam 13, secured upon a shaft 14 and carrying fast and loose pulleys, one of which is designated 15, the said pulleys being engaged by a belt (not shown) leading to a suitable source of power. The shaft also car- Mounted upon the rod 11 is a spring 17, one end of which bears against a collar 18, adjustable on the shaft, and the other end against a washer 19, also mounted upon the shaft and held against longitudinal movement by one of the cross-pieces 20 of the supporting frame. The spring serves to hold the roller 12 in contact with the cam 13, so that when the shaft 14 is rotated the cam imparts a quick forward and backward impulse to the rod, and consequently to the table, without any rest between the two movements, a rest, however, taking place when the friction-roller engages the flat side of the cam, as clearly shown in Fig. 4.

Having thus described the construction and operation of my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,

1. A table for reciprocatory concentrators having a plurality of sets of riffles the upper edges of which are disposed in the same plane, each set being arranged to overlap the next lower set.

2. A table for reciprocatory concentrators provided with escape-openings and with a plurality of sets of rifiles, each set being arranged to overlap the next lower set, and the openings being disposed within the'line of termination of the rifiles above them.

3. A table for reciprocatory concentrators having a plurality of sets of riflies, each set being arranged to overlap the next lower set, and having, further, escape-openings disposed within the line of termination of the rifiies, and at the outer terminals thereof.

4. A table for reciprocatory concentrators provided with escape-slots and with a plurality of sets of rifiies, each set being arranged to overlap the next lower set, and the slots being disposed parallel with the riflies and within the line of termination of the rifiies above them.

5. A table for reciprocatory concentrators provided with two series of escape-slots and with a plurality of sets of riflies each set being arranged to overlap the next lower set, one series of the slots being disposed parallel with the riffles and within the line of termination of the riffles above them, and the other series being disposed at the outer terminals of the riflies.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

FRANK EDMON FORSTER.

itnesses:

W; B. ToMrxINs, IV. H. DE ROSEAU.

ITC 

